Man, this forum is about as strongly anti-Ameriprise as one can get.
Have I mentioned in the past that I had an Ameriprise account, and still do, and have absolutely no desire to get out?
OK, OK, turn off your flame torches now.
I opened an on-line brokerage account with Ameriprise some time in 1999. They initially offered 10 free trades a month, which was more than I usually traded. Later they raised it to $4 for the first 10 trades a month. Back then, Schwab was charging $29.95.
Though there are now cheaper on-line brokerages, this $4 is still less expensive than my other two accounts at Schwab and Scottrade, even as these two also drop their trading fees.
Again, it is a self-directed account. They have called a few times over the years, and left short messages on my answering machine to say "Hi". I never called them back, and that is that.